The short answer
We send SaaS founders a LinkedIn connection request with no note, then one short message a day after they accept, offering Warm AI's free 14-day trial. Our best cold campaign so far had 30% of requests accepted and 14.3% of the people we messaged reply. Across all our campaigns, it's 25% and 12.1%. We run it on OutFlo, a LinkedIn outreach tool.
Who do we reach out to?
Founders of SaaS companies in the UK and Europe. They're the people who notice when their website gets visits but no form fills, which is the problem Warm AI solves.
We upload our list to OutFlo as a CSV. Our main campaign holds 3,494 founders, and by 17 October OutFlo had processed 391 of them. We also ran a separate campaign to people we were already connected with.
What sequence do we use?
- Connection request, no note. OutFlo views the founder's profile, then sends the request.
- Wait one day after they accept. The next step only runs if they haven't already replied.
- First message. Three short lines in lowercase, with OutFlo filling in their first name and company. It says what Warm AI shows (the companies visiting their website, even when nobody fills in a form) and ends with one question: would they like a free 14-day trial to see their own visitors?
- Wait three days, then one follow-up if there's still no reply. It gives one result from a customer's trial and repeats the offer.
That's the whole sequence: two messages, one offer and a yes-or-no question.
Should you add a note to a LinkedIn connection request?
In our best cold campaign, we didn't. The request goes out with no note, and the first message follows a day after they accept. 113 of 376 requests were accepted (30%). We haven't run the same campaign with a note, so we can't say whether a note would do better or worse.
What reply rate do we get on LinkedIn?
| Campaign | Connection requests accepted | Replies, of people messaged |
|---|---|---|
| EU/UK SaaS founders (best cold campaign) | 113 of 376 (30%) | 13 of 91 (14.3%) |
| Existing connections (503 people) | Already connected | 16% |
| Everything we've run: 2 accounts, 9 campaigns, including two for another product | 152 of 619 (25%) | 48 of 397 (12.1%) |
Figures from our OutFlo dashboard on 17 October 2026. Several newer campaigns started on 12 and 13 October and are too early to judge, but they're included in the overall row.
Two more numbers matter just as much:
- 13 interested leads out of 48 replies that OutFlo tagged (27%).
- A 55-minute median response time to interested leads. We answered 11 of the 13.
What should you do with what you see?
| What you see in OutFlo | What to do with it |
|---|---|
| A reply tagged as interested | Answer it first. Our median was 55 minutes. |
| A connection accepted, no reply yet | Let the first message go out the next day, as the sequence does. |
| No reply three days after the first message | Send one follow-up with one proof point, then stop. |
| A new campaign on 0% replies after a few days | Too early to judge. Let it run. |
Which LinkedIn outreach tool do we use, and why?
OutFlo does the parts that matter for a small team:
- Two LinkedIn accounts in one workspace. Each account runs its own campaigns, and the dashboard shows acceptance and reply rates for each, so we can see whose profile is landing better.
- One inbox for every reply across both accounts, with the replies OutFlo reads as interested tagged for us.
- Sequences with conditions. Steps run only if the person connected, or only if they haven't replied, so no one gets a follow-up after they've already answered.
- Clear numbers for every campaign, from requests sent to interested leads.
OutFlo also offers an API, an MCP connection for Claude and ChatGPT, and integrations that send leads to Smartlead and Instantly for email. We wrote up how we used Claude to review these campaigns on the Nudge Search blog.
OutFlo's Growth plan is $49 per LinkedIn account a month on monthly billing, as a year-end offer (normally $59), and less on quarterly or yearly billing. There's an 8-day free trial. Prices as of 17 October 2026; check OutFlo's pricing page for current plans.
What's next for Warm AI and OutFlo?
We're working on a direct link between Warm AI and OutFlo, and we'll share what it does once it's live.
Recap
- Connection request with no note, one message a day after they accept, one follow-up three days later.
- Best cold campaign: 30% accepted, 14.3% replied. Overall: 25% and 12.1%.
- Answer interested replies fast; ours took a median of 55 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What reply rate should I expect from LinkedIn outreach?
We can only speak for ours. Across everything we've run, 12.1% of the people we messaged replied. Our best cold campaign reached 14.3%, and a campaign to existing connections reached 16%. Your audience and offer will change the number.
How many messages do you send?
Two at most: a first message, and one follow-up three days later. Neither goes out if the person has already replied.
Which tool do you use?
OutFlo. We run two LinkedIn accounts from one workspace with its multi-account campaigns.